Navigation systems and telematics applications, as can be found in motor vehicles and even already in mobile terminals, such as smartphones, for example, are capable of ascertaining a traffic route between a starting point and an end point which are chosen by a user. In this case, the user can usually choose whether the traffic route needs to be optimized in terms of time, i.e. the fastest connection, or in terms of route length, i.e. the shortest connection. Depending on the setting, different traffic routes can be obtained for one and the same means of transport.
In the case of route ascertainment services which a user can access online, there is usually also the option of choosing the type of means of transport to a limited extent, i.e. whether the user wishes to cover the distance by car, by bicycle or on foot, for example. However, these services that are provided are limited to purely privately or individually available means of transport.
In the case of public means of transport, which are usually timetable-controlled, services are likewise already provided online which a user can use to select a traffic route from a starting point to a destination. In this case, the starting points and destinations are stipulated, discrete points (for example railroad stations) and are therefore less flexible than private or individually useable means of transport. In this case, too, the user can usually choose the type of public means of transport, or the type of train (regional train, ICE), which is ultimately expressed in the charge structure and pricing.
With the rising environmental consciousness in western industrial countries, the environmental burden of our conduct and actions is moving increasingly to the foreground. Thus, for example, it is general knowledge that some citrus and tropical fruits which can be found in our supermarkets have a very poor CO2 balance, since transporting them requires considerable quantities of fossil fuel. The better the CO2 balance in this case, the more ecological and sustainable are these goods, which the consumer appears to hold in higher and higher regard.